It Will Be OK
by Widdy
Summary: Mercedes confronts Santana after Brittany declares her love for her in front of the entire Glee Club.
1. Chapter 1

Title: It Will Be OK.

Pairings: Santana/Brittany

Rating: PG for some swearing.

Summary: Brittany tells Santana how she feels in front of the entire Glee Club.

Disclaimer: I don't own them and will return them when I have finished.

Author's Note: It's a little angsty, so if this isn't your thing please feel free to avoid.

I found myself speechless as I watched Brittany tell Santana that she loved her.

I knew that Santana should get up and follow her, but she didn't. I watched on as she tried but couldn't make herself move. It was like someone had glued her ass to the chair and her feet to the floor. I watched as tears flowed from Brittany's eyes as she flew from the choir room, only to be quickly followed by Mr Schue, Rachel, and Quinn.

I watched as she still couldn't bring herself to move when the rest of the Glee Club started to leave. She just sat there looking towards the door Brittany had fled through. I was shocked when she just took and even accepted the glares from Tina, Lauren, and Puck. I was equally horrified when she wholly embraced the looks of disappointment from Kurt, Finn, and Sam. I felt my eyebrows almost leap from my forehead when she even failed to react to the twin looks of anger from both Artie and Mike.

"Santana?" I called out gently.

Her body refused to move as my hand landed lightly on her arm.

"Are you OK?" I asked when she didn't immediately respond.

She just looked blank and managed to turn her head from the door. My chair made a stuttering screeching sound, as I swivelled and pushed it back to better look at her. I watched on as she set her jaw and pointedly ignored my question. She was probably waiting for me to leave her like everyone else had just done, but I was going nowhere.

"What the hell are you still doing here, why haven't you run off like the rest of the losers?" Santana asked gruffly.

It was a good question; Kurt had even asked it with his eyes as he stood expecting me to follow. There was a simple answer to that question.

Everyone else had just left to do other things or comfort Brittany. No one even thought that Santana might need comforting. Yeah she was a bitch, but as Brittany had spoken I had looked towards Santana for a reaction, and while her mouth said one thing her eyes said another.

I have known Santana for years, since we were in Kindergarten. She had been different then, a little gruff but she had been nice and kind. Even then she had always been ready with some little put down for anyone who messed with her. However at some point her bark had gotten a hell of a lot worse.

I had always wondered at the transformation. I could remember her sharing a Twinkie with me when I cried that my mom had forgot to pack me one. I could even remember her sticking up for Rachel once, when Max Shaper had pushed her to the ground and kicked dirt all over her yellow sundress. The change that had taken place in Santana hadn't been sudden. She didn't just go from moody little girl to angry teenager in the blink of an eye. No it was a gentle progression, so gentle that hardly anyone could remember what the old Santana was like. All they saw was the angry bitch who could cut your throat with her words.

However Brittany's words had just allowed me to see exactly what made Santana who she was today, and what had made her react the way she had. It was fear, and that was the answer to her question. I hadn't run off because I could see the fear in her eyes, and I could see that she returned Brittany's feelings.

I could still see it now as she pursued her lips and I could see the tears burning behind her eyes. I could see that those tears desperately wanted to fall, but never would because there was no way in hell that Santana Lopez was going to cry over something like this. Sure she did have a tendency to be overly dramatic and cry when drunk, but there was no way she was going to show her true devastation to the world. I mean it was an accepted fact amongst the entire population of McKinley, hell even Lima, that Santana Lopez was a bitch, a badass, and heartless.

I sighed and squeezed her arm in an attempt of offer her some comfort. "Girl, you certainly messed things up."

"I've messed things up? I haven't done anything wrong!" Santana denied as she shook her head violently.

"If you say so." I shook my head; I should have known that Santana would react by deflecting the conversation. It was typical, she either made witty and hurtful comments, or she played dumb.

"It's not my fault, I didn't tell her to come in here and tell the entire world her private feelings for... me."

"Hmm." I hummed with a tilt of my head.

The sarcasm in my tone was clear and I recognised the anger filling Santana's eyes almost immediately. Everyone knew what to expect when her eyes widened a little and her jaw clenched. It didn't take but a second for the inevitably explosion to happen in my face.

"What the hell would you know about it?" Santana screamed as she pulled her arm away from my comforting hand.

"I know that she just told everyone she loved you and you just blew her off."I rolled my eyes, I could see right through her.

Everyone knew that she and Brittany had a thing. I had seen them together as they leaned on their lockers and smiled at each other. No other girls I knew held hands as they strolled down the corridors of school, or played with each other's hair so much. They left and arrived at school together almost every single day. Then there was the whole 'sex isn't dating' thing. No one said anything about that, partly from fear of Santana's reaction, but mainly because it wasn't our business, but after what I had just witnesses I couldn't just sit and say nothing.

"It wasn't like that OK? She doesn't know what she is talking about." She mumbled through gritted teeth.

"It was exactly like that, and we both know she knew exactly what she was talking about Santana." I spat with an exasperated shake of my head.

I couldn't help the eye roll that followed. It was true, we both did know that Brittany knew exactly what she was talking about. Another thing we both knew was that Santana Lopez had a reputation she had worked hard for. For years she had belittled, seduced, and humiliated everyone around her (myself included) to create a staircase of bodies to climb to the top of the high school ladder. Now that staircase was looking a little unstable. Three little words could ruin everything she had worked so hard for.

"Were the hell do you get off on preaching to me about relationships, as far as I'm aware the only one you have had is with Puck, and the only word that describes that fiasco is joke."

Again my eyebrows crawled up my forehead, and while her words stung I knew the reason behind them. Santana was scared, I could see it in her eyes, and it made me hurt for her. "You know what Santana?"

"What's that Shamu?" Santana spat at me and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the insult. It's hardly original. She had called me worse.

"It's OK." I told her calmly with a flick of my wrist.

"What?" Santana asked with a glare.

"It's OK if you insult me to make yourself feel better, or to try and make me leave."

"Whatever." Santana shrugged and looked away.

"It's OK if you're gay." I knew the moment the words left to lips to expect an explosion. However it didn't happen. Instead Santana eyes widened at my words, and her back went impossibly straight.

"I'm not..." She turned her wide eyes towards me as she took in several deep breaths, and wet her lips before she tried to speak again.

"Oh hell no, do you dare say that!" I boomed loudly in anger before I managed to get a hold of myself, "It's OK if you love Brittany Santana. It's also OK if you're scared of that fact." I finish softly as I cut her off what I am sure was about denial of her sexuality. I couldn't bear to hear her deny something so important about herself. Being around Kurt had taught me that it was OK to be who you were, and not to hide it. There would always be people who didn't like you. Who would insult and ridicule you for different facets of your being, and it was OK. It was their problem not yours. There was nothing wrong with what she felt for Brittany, and vice versa. Love was natural.

Santana looked away before she replied, "I never said that I love Brittany."

I shook my head in response; she didn't have to say it. It was there in her eyes for everyone to see.

"Yeah, I know. That's why we are having this conversation, and the girl who you say you don't love and just confessed to loving you, ran off in tears, when you laughed in her face."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Santana growled at me through gritted teeth.

I shook my head again. God what a mess, who was she trying to kid? I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I never thought you were a coward, an angry sarcastic bitch, yeah, but never figured you for a coward Santana." As the words left my mouth I knew I had pissed her off, but it was true. If there was one person in this town who I thought would own being gay, it was Santana Lopez. Hell, after the whole 'sex isn't dating' fiasco Kurt was always saying how he couldn't wait for them to just own up to their feelings. Apparently Brittany had come to terms with what she felt. Santana it appeared wasn't as comfortable with herself as everyone else through.

"You better watch what you're saying Mercedes." Santana warned me as she clenched her fists tightly.

I lifted a hand and held it up, "Oh please, just stop denying it. We both know that everything I just said is true."

She looked away because I was right, Brittany just told the whole Glee club that she loves her, and it was bound to get round the entire school before the end of the week. Even if they didn't believe that she reciprocated those feelings, (which she wholly doubted, it was common knowledge amongst certain circles that Santana and Brittany had hooked up on numerous occasions) she would still be closely associated with another girl who professed to openly love her. Look at what had happened to Kurt. Being out in Lima was considered a crime by some, and social suicide by others.

"I'm not a coward." Santana responded weakly.

"Well you're not doing such a great job of proving me wrong on that point Santana." I huffed; she had just proved to me and ten other people that she was a coward.

"I can't." Santana said as she looked me dead in the eye.

"You're afraid." I sighed softly; I could see it and I really felt for the girl in front of me. It was pretty obvious that her bad girl image was just a front. It was a wall, a way to keep everyone from getting close and discovering the one thing she just couldn't quite accept about herself.

"I didn't mean to hurt her." Santana whispered her confession and looked away when she saw my eyes soften with a nod of understanding. I knew she didn't mean to hurt her. In her fear she had just done the first thing she could think of, and that as the laugh off Brittany's profession of love.

"Maybe you should tell her that, tell her how hard it is for you. Brittany's not stupid Santana, she will understand that this is difficult for you." I was certain of this and reached out and claimed Santana's hands from her lap.

I watched on as Santana's eyes filled with tears as she looked down at the floor. "It's too late; I've already fucked everything up."

"Oh don't you dare give me that lame excuse; of course it's not too late." I said vehemently squeezing both of Santana's hands to emphasise each word I had spoken.

"It is, Jesus Mercedes I laughed in her face, did you see what I did to her. I broke her fucking heart; she's not going to forgive me that. Not that I deserve her forgiveness."

I had to agree with her. What she did was unforgivable, but I understood why she did it. She just had to explain her reaction to Brittany, and make her understand.

"No you probably don't deserve her forgiveness, but Brittany loves you, and you love her, and I'm not gonna sit here and let you talk about how your just gonna give up because you're afraid."

Santana shook her head and pulled her hands away from mine. "It's more complicated than that."

"No its not." I paused and waited till Santana looked at me again. "Look at Kurt, he's out and proud."

Santana laughed harshly and allowed her face to adopt a superior look, "Yeah look at Kurt, Karofsky makes his life a living hell every day, and I can't go through that. More than that, I can't see Brittany go through that. I'm protecting her."

I frowned at her twisted logic but before I couldn't reply someone beat me to the punch.

"You don't have the right to make that choice for me Santana." I looked away from Santana as I heard Brittany's soft but determined voice speak.

"Britt?" Santana whispered softly and I felt my heart ache for them both. Brittany looked just as devastated as Santana.

Their relationship had once been giddy and fun. We had all seen them dancing together, holding hands as they walked down the corridors of McKinley, or with their pinkies hooked as they sat at the back of practise. Now it had evolved into something more. Brittany had crossed the line from adolescent love to something deeper, while Santana had floundered and ended up wounding them both deeply.

"I forgot my bag." Brittany mumbled as she kept her head bowed and retrieved her backpack.

"Britt, I'm sorry." Santana apologised as she jumped to her feet and rushed towards Brittany her arms outstretched only to stop short when the blonde flinched away.

"It doesn't matter." Brittany said quietly as twisted the straps of her backpack.

Santana shook her head to dismiss Brittany's comment and took a hesitant step closer to the girl she loved. "But it does matter. I shouldn't have laughed, I was just..."

Brittany interrupted as she shouldered her back pack, "I said I don't matter. I have to go I'll be late for Spanish class."

"Britt, please wait." Santana begged as she reached out towards Brittany again.

Brittany avoided her touch once again and just fled the room for a second time.

Santana just dropped like a rock to the ground and broke down. I moved as quickly as I could and I folded her in my arms and just held her as she sobbed her heart out uncontrollably. I don't know how long we sat there, but I just gently stroked her hair as I offered her what little comfort I could.

"It will be OK, she just needs some time." I winced as the words left my lips. I didn't know if it would be OK, or if Brittany would forgive her, but it was the only thing I could say at that moment. As Santana's tears soak my t-shirt, I couldn't only hope for both their sakes I was right, and that everything would be OK.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: A few people have asked for a continuation to this. So, I thought I would expand this story over three or four parts. Let me know what you think. **

**Oh and anyone reading this and wondering where the next What We Need update is. All I can tell you is the next few parts are ready. I can't get hold of my beta so it might be a while before I get anything up. So I offer my apologies for the lateness of that.**

**Anyway on with the show. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Part 2 - In My Room<strong>

Last week, if anyone would've told me that Santana Lopez would be sitting on my bed, noisily thumbing through one of Kurt's Vogue magazines, I would have slapped them upside the head. Then again, at the start of the week, if anyone would have told me that Brittany would confess her love for Santana, and I would be there to witness Santana's subsequent breakdown. I would have laughed in their faces, and then have given them another slap upside the head, just for good measure. Regardless of the circumstances this was the situation I found myself in.

When she had strolled into my room an hour ago, Santana had been holding a tray containing two glasses of milk and a two slices of homemade double chocolate cheesecake. She had announced that my mom was awesome and caused me to smile in agreement. It was quickly followed by an eye roll as she flopped down on my bed next to me after setting the tray upon my desk. My mom was awesome and perspective, she didn't even have to ask what was wrong with Santana she just knew. One look at the sulking girl next to me, she had just mumbled something about how chocolate was a great for heartbreak, and had been plying us with the stuff for the past few days.

It was still hard to wrap my mind around Santana being completely at home in my room. It wasn't like she hadn't been to my house before, because she had during the summer. When my parents had gone on holiday I had invited a few people round. It ended up turning into Rachel's house party mark 2, thanks to Puckerman and several bottles of vodka.

Still, seeing her sitting in my room without anyone else was still bizarre. Even more bizarre was the fact that she had been here an hour and she still hadn't mentioned Brittany. Before we had left school and Santana had headed off to Cheerio's practise. She had told me she was going to try and have another talk with Brittany. If the silence and smudged mascara were anything to go by, it hadn't gone to well.

The milk had been drunk and the cheesecake had been consumed over half an hour ago. I realised at this point waiting for her to tell me what had gone down wasn't going to be fruitful. Rolling my eyes and shifted slightly I cleared my throat. "So?"

"So what?" Santana answered, not even pausing as she flicked through the pages of the magazine.

I rolled my eyes. She knew what I was getting at and she was being her typical stubborn self. Well I could be just as stubborn. "How did practise go?"

"It was good." Santana replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "Coach Sue was a complete bitch. Made us run laps at the end because the pyramid was..."

"Did you talk to Brittany?" I interrupted with a sigh. I waiting for a reply and watched on as her jaw clenched at my words. Obviously she had talked to Brittany, or at least tried, and obviously it hadn't gone well.

"No." Santana spat as she flicked her eyes towards me with a frosty glare.

"You need to fix this." I stated firmly with a tilt of my head.

Santana rolled onto her side with a weary sigh and glared at me again, "In case you haven't been using those eyes of yours wheezy, I have tried to fix it. She won't even talk to me!"

This was the third night this week in a row that we were having the same conversation. Not that I really minded, as it was nice to spend time with someone other than Kurt, Tina, and Rachel. Still I knew Santana was only here because I was the only one out of our friends that was actually talking to her. Everyone else had shifted to Brittany's side of the fence. Not that I blamed them, we had all witnessed the damage done when Santana had told Brittany to 'stop being ridiculous' and had followed it up with a harsh laugh.

The only thing was, no one else cared or just couldn't see things from Santana's point of view. Not that I can really justify what she did, but I did understand it. Tears and complete and utter heartbreak are the only words that I can describe what followed. Brittany had fled and Santana had remained behind devastated by her own cowardly actions.

As a result, for the last week and a half I had acquired a shiny new 'popular' friend. As such had been witness to several separate occasions when it seemed to get even worse for Santana in regards to Brittany.

Santana wasn't known for her willingness to make amends or to apologise for anything she said or did. This time however was different. This time she actually tried to set about rectifying her mistake and make up with Brittany. The only thing was, it didn't work. All her attempts had ended up in Santana crying her heard out, either in my arms or into my pillow. Brittany had been anything but receptive to her attempts, and Quinn was always around with a scowl and some harsh words in her defence.

I shook my head to dislodge my thoughts and folded my arms across my chest, "let me stop you right there, you don't get to insult me when we are in my house."

"Fine, no insulting you. Everyone else is fair game though." Santana said with a roll her eyes and tossed Kurt's Vogue onto the floor without care. I winced slightly as I imagined his face if he could see how his 'fashion bible' had just been treated.

"Deal." I agreed with a shrug, "Let's get back to the point in hand, you're not trying hard enough."

Santana choked back a shocked laugh as she clenched her fists at my words. "I don't need this shit from you to OK. You're supposed to be supporting me here."

"Oh please, who has put up with your crap for the past week and a half?" I asked with a roll of my eyes before I stared her down.

Eventually Santana looked away from my hard stare and mumbled a reluctant response. "You have, but I don't need you to start riding me about Brittany."

I rolled my eyes skyward for what seemed like the ninetieth time that day. That was exactly what she needed and that was exactly what I was going to do. No way was I gonna let her go back into the 'land of let's pretend we're straight' and deny that she wasn't in love with her best friend. That would only end up hurting them both even more, and I for one just couldn't sit by and watch that happen.

"Who else has been giving you a hard time?" I asked as Santana pushed herself up into a sitting position and let her legs dangle over the edge of my bed.

"Mainly Quinn, but Manhands has been giving me some shady looks. She tried to get in my grill this morning but Karofsky slushied her before she could corner me. I have never been so happy to see that big jerk." Santana finished with a quirk of her lips.

"Getting slushied isn't fun Santana." I frowned in response as I contemplated what she had said About Rachel.

This information wasn't really new to me, but I could sympathise. Rachel Berry just didn't do subtlety. She was obnoxiously blunt and Santana was easily aggravated. I couldn't help that feel a little relieved that she hadn't managed to say what she wanted to Santana, because I knew for a fact what she wanted to say.

Rachael had cornered me when Kurt had been showing me his new boots during our free period. She just had to inform me of her thoughts on the whole situation. I hadn't really been interested and tried to tell her, but she had ignored me and had just launched into her speech. It had mainly revolved around Santana and what she termed her 'stunted emotional development' and her 'inability to accept and respond to Brittany's confession of Sapphic love in an adult way'. I knew the girl in front of me would've gouged Rachel's eyes out if she had heard her say any of that.

"I wouldn't know, can't say I have ever been on the receiving end." Santana smirked as she looked down at her nails.

"Well I have." I spat as I allowed a little of my anger to seem out. Getting slushied wasn't funny in anyway shape or form, especially nasty when you have been on the receiving end.

"I know. I got you a couple of times last year before coach forced us to join the glee club."

"I remember thank you." Shaking my head I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I was above it all. People did stupid and cruel things when they were trying to fit in. Santana had (for a very obvious reason) been trying harder than most. The look that resided in her eyes told me that it was the closest thing I would ever get to an apology from the girl in front of me. "Look you have to try harder with Brittany."

Instead of reacting badly to my words, Santana's shoulders slumped, "I don't see what else I can do."

"Let's go through what you have done so far?" I asked desperate to know everything that Santana had been doing to try and apologise to her lady love.

"I tired going to her house to talk to her, but her mom said she didn't wanna talk to me and wouldn't even let me try. I tried again at our lockers but she just walked away. I have been texting her none stop and ringing her cell twice an hour for the past six days…" Santana's voice trailed off as she took a deep breath.

While I knew practically everything else, the last mumbled confession caused my eyes to widen in shock. Holding up my hand I indicated for Santana to stop, "Wait you have been calling her twice an hour, every hour?"

"Yeah. This is the longest I have gone without talking to her. It's killing me." The desperation in Santana's voice touched me because she and Brittany were practically joined at the hip. I knew she must be suffering with not being able to talk to the girl who was her best everything. The fact that she had caused the silence just made everything ten times worse.

While I knew that Santana was dying to talk to Brittany again, I had to put a stop to the stalker calls. "You need to stop calling her like that, it borders on being a creeper."

"Fine," Santana agreed as she crossed her arms over her chest, "but she has even stopped sitting next to me in class, and at practice she just stayed behind Quinn, who just glared at me the whole time."

I shrugged my shoulders as I gave her a pointed look. I'm not sure what she was expecting but I wasn't surprised she was getting the cold shoulder. "You broke her heart are you really surprised that she won't talk to you?"

"It isn't like we haven't had arguments before. She has never been like this the other times." Santana offered. It was like she was trying to convince herself everything was going to work out in the end. I however knew things wouldn't get round to that without some serious hard work from the girl in front of me.

"But it's different this time, this time it wasn't an argument Santana. She opened up to you and you shut down."

"What was I supposed to do?" Santana asked her tone agitated.

Sighing I shook my head, "Open up back. Accept her love and tell her you felt the same way."

"I can't." Santana whispered.

"You still won't say it." I huffed exasperated by her refusal to just admit the simple truth.

"Mercedes..." Santana growled warningly. I ignored the warning and shot her a look that told her to give it up. There was no way I was going to let her sit in my room a sulk, never mind let her continue in her denial.

"Come on, I know OK!" I told her my voice rising slightly in frustration. I still hadn't managed to get Santana to admit she was gay. It was starting to get to me.

"I know you do. It's hard." Santana grumbled, while I nodded my head in agreement. I knew it was hard for her to say, but it wasn't like I was a complete stranger. Besides, I already knew she was gay. If anything that should make it easier for her to say it to me.

"I know and it's going to get harder the longer you stay in the closet." I told her, because it was true. The longer she buried it the harder it was gonna get to finally say the words.

"You don't understand." Santana said with a shake of her head.

I respond by nodded my head in agreement. I had to concede she was right about that, because there was no way I would ever truly understand everything she was going through. "I know I don't. How can I? I'm not gay. Kurt says it will get easier each time you say it. You can try saying it to me; it might be easy because I know."

"I just can't." Santana told me as she sucked her lips into her mouth and looked away from me.

It was time for my trump card. I knew something that Santana didn't, and if I had learnt anything about the girl next to me in the past week, it was that what I was going to reveal wasn't going to go down well.

"You know she went out on a date with Artie yesterday." I told her keeping my tone as even as I possibly could.

"What? She never... she wouldn't." Santana snapped angrily as her eyes burn to holes into the side of my skull. I could practically feel the anger rippling off her in waves.

"But she did."

"How do you know?" Santana asked though gritted teeth.

"Mike told Tina and Tina told me." All of the Glee kids knew, Santana didn't know because nobody was talking to her (apart from me) but I left out that part. I also left out the part were Tina had told everyone who would listen; it wasn't like Santana needed to know that. "Apparently Artie was bragging during football practice."

As soon as the words left my mouth I could see the wheels turning in Santana's mind. Her eyes also gave me clue to what she was feeling. Almost every emotion in the spectrum flash through them, but mainly it was anger which battled with hurt for dominance. "But she said she... loved me why would she go out with Cripple McStubble pants if that was the case."

"She does love you." I told her with absolute conviction, because anyone with eyes could see that.

"Funny way of showing it!" Santana spat which just earned her another eye roll.

"Oh please. It's called a rebound girl." I told her, because it was the truth. Brittany wasn't into Artie, but she was hurt, and people who are hurting generally just want it to stop. They will do anything to have that happen. Including dating people they have no interest in.

Santana's eyes widened in understanding and she shook her head rapidly from side to side. "Oh fuck no! She can't do that. She can't tell me she loves me and then go out with some... some... stupid boy."

"You're jealous." I pointed out, which gained me a vicious glare. I could see she was close to losing it and that's exactly what she needed to do in my opinion.

Santana pushed herself to her feet, "no I'm not. I'm frickin pissed off Mercedes."

"She can date Artie if she wants; I mean she has every right to." I told her as I looked up into her eyes. I could see she was close to the edge and she just needed one more little push. Whats Santana said next gave me all the ammunition I needed.

"No she doesn't." Santana spat as she leaned down into my personal space, her face contorted with rage.

"Well she kind of does. It isn't like there's anyone else who wants her right?" I finished with a tilt of my head. My eyes were locked with Santana's.

I watched on as they widen as she thrusts her finger into my face. "Don't fuck with me Mercedes, you know how I feel. You alone know that I love..." Santana's voice trailed off as her eyes darted away from my own.

I almost roll my eyes and sigh in exasperation as Santana manages to catch herself before she admits to what I have been trying to her to admit to all week. "What was that?"

"You're not going to give up are you?" Santana gives me a rueful chuckle as she reached a hand behind her head and tugged her hair free of her pony.

It was about as rhetorical a question as one could get. I simply quirked a brow in response.

After shaking her hair free I watched on as Santana took a deep breath and looked skywards. "Fine. I love Brittany ok? I love her! I love her! I love her! Happy?"

I ignored the sarcasm at the end of her admission and simply nodded. "Ok, so that's a start." I told her and couldn't hold back the smile, as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Is that all you can say?" Santana asked, "You have been riding my arse all week about saying what I feel for Britt, and when I do say it all you can utter is 'OK, so that's a start'?"

"And I'm proud of you." I told her softly, because it was the truth. I was so proud of her I didn't even think words could possibly express it.

"You're proud of me?" Santana asked softly.

"Yes." I nodded with a small smile.

"Why? I mean it's not like I'm nice to you, I have slushied you, thrown things in your food when you weren't looking. I mean out of all the glee kids you're one of the few I can stand to spend for more than five minutes with, but I'm hardly nice to you."

It was true. Everything she had just said was true, she wasn't nice to me. Hell apart from Brittany and occasionally Quinn Santana was mean and nasty to everyone. Still that didn't mean I couldn't like her. I remember what she used to be like, and this past week and a half of being in her presence had shown me that the sweet slightly gruff little girl, who I had known in middle school, was still there under the layers of bitchiness. I also respected her badassness, like me she didn't take anyone's crap and I dug that.

"You used to be, when we were kids. Before high school you were always first to stick for people who got picked on. I remember you sticking up for me and even Rachel on more than one occasion."

"You remember that?" Santana asked softly.

"Yeah I do, but then you changed. It always threw me why you did, but now I get it. In fact I'm a little sad and ashamed that I never really saw what you were going through earlier."

"Why would you have seen? I was a bitch so you or anyone didn't see." I shook my head in response to Santana's words. While I was disappointed in myself for not seeing past all of Santana's bullshit, I can only thank the Lord for Brittany. I can't even imagine how bad Santana would have been without her. "Brittany saw the real you Santana, even as the rest of us let you push us away."

"Well Britt's has always been different."

"I know and I'm glad that she was there for you. As to why I am proud of you. It's the same reason I'm proud of Kurt. Being honest and open with yourself and other people takes a hell off a lot of courage Santana. I know that right now this is hard for you."

"It's always going to be hard isn't it?"

"Maybe, but maybe not." I told her, because I was sure that the whole process was going to be like a rollercoaster ride. There would be ups and downs, because it was hard to stay true to yourself, even under normal circumstances. I was confident if anyone could do it, Santana could. She had lost her way and now she was finding her way back to the path. She was finding and beginning to accept the part of her that she had shoved deep down into the bottom of her heart. "But admitting you love Brittany is just a start."

Santana narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "What's it a start to?"

"Your grand gesture."

"Grand gesture?" Santana echoed my words as she looked at me in confusion. Smiling I nodded my head up and down as I pushed myself up from my bed and stood next to Santana.

"Yes, you are going to get a backbone and get your girl back." I told her as I stepped towards my desk and grabbed my iPod.

"I... can't do that. I hurt her to much; she wants nothing to do with me." Santana told me as she looked down at her feet.

"Coward." I muttered with a grunt of disapproval. "Are you really gonna let the girl you love walk off with Artie Abrahams?"

Santana's head snapped up at my words and her eyes narrowed. "There's hardly walking, in case you forgot that requires a working pair of stems."

"For some unfathomable reason I actually took a chance the other day and looked at you for the first time in years. Look Artie and Brittany are just all kinds of wrong. Artie loves Tina and Brittany loves you. That's the way of the world. It wouldn't surprise me if they were just doing it to make you both jealous."

I watched as my word wiped the anger from Santana's face only to be replaced with a look of hope. "You really think so?"

I nodded my head. "Well that's my opinion, Artie's been moping after Tina since she dumped him for mike. Not that I blame her, boy ditched her so he could play Halo. But seriously, I wouldn't cling onto that. Relationships have developed from less between the glee kids."

"Yeah I know. You think they could last?"

"Maybe." I offered because it was a possibility. One I didn't like, but it was still out there and I wanted Santana to be aware of that.

"Shit, I don't think I can watch her go off and be happy with someone else Mercedes."

Rolling my eyes I held up my hands to stop the girl before me from going into a full blown melt down. "Don't go all doom and gloom on me, all is not lost. I have a plan." Jerking a thumb over my shoulder I moved towards my room door. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"To raid my mom's record collection, it's just made for this situation." I smiled to myself as the perfect opportunity for Santana to win Brittany back popped into my head.

"Mercedes?" Santana spoke so softly that if she hadn't been standing directly behind me I would have missed it.

Spinning on my heel I looked at her. She looked uncomfortable and was clearly struggling with what she was about to say. I had learnt a lot about Santana over the past week or so, so I just waited for her to speak.

"Thanks."

"It's nothing." I said brushing of the thanks, turning slightly I started to move away.

Before I could get far, Santana reached out and grabbed my arm and stopped me from exiting the room. She bit her lip hesitantly before she took a deep breath and spoke. "What you are doing it's a big fucking deal. Thanks for you know being my friend when everyone else hates me. Britt and Quinn are the only ones I have every really had and I've lost them. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't had you to talk to and put up with my shit."

I was touched with what Santana had just said and I expressed it by engulfing her in a huge hug. When I pulled back I could see she was uncomfortable with the emotion and the affection. Slapping her arm gently I decided to get things back to track. "Please don't go nice on me now girl, I might actually think you have a heart beating in that bony chest of yours."

"Bitch!"

Laughing I grabbed her hand and dragged her from my room. As we headed downstairs to ransack my mom's awesome music collection, I watched as Santana smiled genuinely for the first time this week. We had a hell of a lot of work a head off us, but I was determined to help Santana make amends, and I was determined to help Santana get Brittany back. 


End file.
